


Sugar and Spice

by GutterBall



Series: Christmas Quickies [2]
Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Chuck is still an awkward turtle, Cuddles and fluff, Cussing, M/M, Raleigh is still oblivious to his charm, but they're getting better, the morning after
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-27 05:35:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13241535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GutterBall/pseuds/GutterBall
Summary: Chuck has no idea what he's gotten himself into. The Santa suit thing went so far beyond what he intended, but he isn't about to act like he didn't get everything he wanted out of it.He just... doesn't want to mess up. Doesn't want to hurt Raleigh, who's been hurt enough. Now that he's had a taste of how it feels to be together instead of apart, he doesn't want to let that go.Now, he just has to figure out... how.





	Sugar and Spice

**Author's Note:**

> A sequel from Chuck's point of view. He didn't want to talk this much, but I freaking made him. *shakes fist* He NEEDED to, dammit!

Chuck was at a loss.

It probably wasn't the first time in his life, and he was dismally aware that it was hardly the last, but it was still unusual. His life up to now had been forward momentum and clear-cut choices. He may not have always known what exactly to do, but he'd always known what his options were and could make an informed decision.

Raleigh Becket, though, threw that right out the window, and Chuck had no idea what to do now. All he knew for sure was that he'd better not fuck this up.

Because waking up with the pretty bloke curled up against him, a hint of a smile on those kissable lips, warm and comfortable and sated from a truly spectacular fuck, was how Chuck Hansen wanted to spend the rest of his life. It scared the hell out of him, but he didn't care.

And the craziest part of all was that it had come out of nowhere. That was what left him at such a loss. He hadn't been prepared for any of it, and that made it seem... fragile. Ephemeral. Something that could slip as easily through his fingers as it had come to him in the first place.

That fucking Santa suit. Jesus Christ, who knew a fucking Santa suit would be so bloody effective?

Frowning and curling more fully around the bloke's warm bulk, he tried to reason the whole thing out. He'd paraded like an idiot through the whole damn shatterdome in that stupid fucking Santa suit because he hoped it would be more endearing than annoying. That it would amuse the bloke enough to forgive him for being so goddamn wishy-washy of late.

He knew he'd confused the poor sod. Pissed him off. Shoved him away.

He just... Raleigh deserved better, dammit. The wanker was a goddamn hero. Always had been, no matter what Chuck had thought of him. Saved the whole bloody world. Deserved someone who wasn't a moody asshole who would only break his heart.

Unfortunately, the rotten sod was also everything Chuck had ever wanted, and they had bloody great times together when Chuck wasn't being an asshole, and Chuck would be lying if he said he didn't want to gather up that scarred, perfect body against him and hold on forever. He... _wanted._ Anything Raleigh would give him.

Even though he didn't deserve him.

But all the rose-tinted fantasies of happily ever after in the world couldn't have prepared him for the wanker dropping trou, bare-ass naked, and presenting that pretty ass for his inspection. He should've known better than to try and predict Raleigh Becket's behavior. He knew by now that the silly sausage was full of surprises.

Because that was it. That was the point at which everything went awry. The whole spanking thing had been a joke, but when he finally pulled his eyes away from the glorious ass so conveniently in reach, he saw the drivesuit scars, old and new, and remembered why he'd tried so hard to stay away from the poor bastard in the first place.

Raleigh Becket had fair dinkum hurt enough. He didn't need Chuck barging into his life like a bull in a china shop.

But the satiny skin under his hands, the flex and release of solid muscle, the warmth of the lovely body, of _Raleigh..._ he couldn't resist. He'd gathered the bloke up in his arms, held him tight like he'd wanted all along, and everything else just... happened.

But he didn't dare think about that too much. His dick had already taken notice of the warm skin all cuddled up against him. He could ignore morning wood, but if he thought too much about how tight the bloke had been, how fucking gorgeous he'd been as he came--

Dammit.

Sighing heavily, he burrowed his face against the messy scruff of dirty blond hair and tried to think what to do next. Because that was the question that had him at such a loss.

What next?

How did he avoid fucking this up?

"I haven't woke up to morning wood in a dog's years."

Jesus. Fucking. Christ.

Raleigh Becket was not allowed to speak first thing in the morning. The normally low and pleasant voice was rough with sleep, rumbling and warm with a smile, and it was apparently the exact pitch at which Chuck's dick sat up and begged like Max for a bit of steak.

That wickedly sensual voice warmed further. "I missed it."

A slow roll of the bloke's entire body flipped every switch Chuck had ever had. His breath sighed out of him, and he clamped an arm around the rotten sod's waist to hold him still.

"Much more of that, and we won't be getting out of bed any time soon."

Jesus, he could literally feel the bloke smiling against the skin of his throat. "I don't hear me arguing."

Groaning low, Chuck hugged tight, then tried desperately to think of literally anything besides how much he wanted to be balls deep in his formal rival right now. Or have his former rival balls deep in him, and that was absolutely not helping because it had been a damn long time since he trusted anyone with that, and Jesus, he hadn't even known he missed it until right fucking now.

"Hey, Chuck?"

Dammit, the pretty bastard even smelled good first thing in the morning. Warm. Comfortable.

"Mm?"

"Can I ask a stupid question?"

Blinking his eyes open, he felt himself start to tense up. He didn't want to, but he couldn't help it. "Go on, then."

"It's nothing bad." Jesus, now the wanker took to rubbing his big, warm hands up and down Chuck's back. It was soothing as fuck, though his dread of the question refused to budge. "Just... I've been thinking about it all night."

Despite himself, he snorted. "Fuck that, mate. You were out cold all night."

Again, he felt the rotten sod smile against his neck. "Fair enough." Shift shift, stroke stroke. "I just... what did you mean when you said you wanted it to be... alright to touch me?"

He blinked.

Stroke, stroke, cuddle closer. "I mean, you know it was always okay, right? Even if you'd pissed me off? Even if we hadn't...?"

This time, it was Chuck cuddling closer. He _had_ said that, hadn't he? Blurted it, more. As something of an explanation for the whole spanking debacle, though it hardly fit the bill.

So... why had he said it?

"You don't have to--"

"No, mate." He stroked his hands over that broad back, trying without words to say the poor sod hadn't offended. "I just... I knew I'd fucked everything up, yeah? Confused the fuck out of you, pushed you away. I just...." Stroke stroke. "I didn't want to let you down big later, so I thought... letting you down small now...?"

Raleigh remained quiet, probably thinking far too hard, trying to find a way to blame himself, the self-sacrificing wanker.

"But staying away didn't feel right, either, so I was just... trying... fuck, I dunno."

Frustrated at his stupid inability to express himself, he shifted down to bury his face in Raleigh's neck, effectively reversing their positions. Fuck it. He needed the comfort. And he'd never been good at saying things without fucking them up somehow.

"I thought we'd have a laugh, and everything would be okay again. I'd give you a swat and you'd call me an asshole and shove me back, and then we'd... maybe... have a cuddle and watch a movie, yeah? That we'd... be okay again."

Glory be, but the perfect bastard reached up and slowly ran his fingers through Chuck's stupid ginger hair, and it felt almost as good as full-on sex had. All remaining tension flowed out of him, and instead of clinging, he just... cuddled. His morning wood, though still present and accounted for, was the last thing on his mind.

This... yes. This, he wanted.

"You... didn't wanna let me down?"

He sighed. "Fuck, mate, I know I'm an asshole, and I've never had more than hook-ups, yeah? It's inevitable that I'll fuck up and hurt you, and I don't want that." Stroke, stroke. "Thought it would be better to walk away before you got too attached and I fucked up too bad to fix and hurt you for real."

This rotten bastard could have brought the entire kaiju culture to its knees just by running his fingers through whatever passed for their hair. Jesus, it was the most comfortable, perfect sensation Chuck had ever experienced. Had anyone ever done this for him before?

His mum, maybe, from before he could remember?

His old man, before they fell so far apart?

"No, I mean... _you_... didn't want to let _me_ down?"

He blinked his eyes open in the dark, warm cave of the bloke's throat. "Eh?"

"I thought... I mean, you weren't stomping away in a huff because I'm the has-been wanker who really should have gotten everyone killed and you're the guy who never stopped fighting, no matter what?"

His shoulders slumped. "Raleigh Fucking Becket." Grumbling under his breath, he tightened his grip again and shook his head. "You have no fucking idea how good you are, do you?"

"Uh... good at sex...?"

"No. I mean, _yeah,_ but--" Huffing, he cut himself off and reluctantly pulled away enough to actually look at the bastard.

Huge. Mistake.

If Raleigh's morning voice was sensual as fuck, Raleigh's whole morning-after look was a goddamn aphrodisiac.

_Focus! Important conversation, dammit!_

Right. "Raleigh. You... you're just... _good._ You let yourself feel every-fucking-thing. You let people in, even though you know how bad they can hurt you. You get cut and keep on fighting. You admit you can't do it all by yourself, and you're not any weaker for saying it."

Blue eyes, wide and astonished, seemed to look right through him.

"Mate, anything bad I ever said to you was me not knowing a goddamn thing about you. Now that I _do_ know you, I'm fucking sorry every day for every bullshit word I said."

Sighing, he leaned in enough to lean his forehead against Raleigh's. Closed his eyes because those fucking baby blues were to goddamn much from this close.

"Me being a wishy-washy fuck had nothing to do with you, mate. I was trying to do right by you, but I just pissed you off. And for no reason."

Fingers in his hair again. Nirvana.

"Chuck."

Yeah, he knew.

"This is gonna sound bad at first, but keep in mind that we are where we are right now, okay?"

He blinked his eyes open and pulled away enough to scrutinize the unpredictable bloke's expression. Nothing. He couldn't even begin to guess what thoughts lie behind that stoic jawset. It was almost like that first day in the cafeteria -- closed and careful.

But not angry. Not yet.

"In the interest of full disclosure... Chuck, yesterday, I was so fucking done with you."

His face froze.

_Keep in mind that we are where we are right now._

In bed. After sex. Together.

_Breathe._

"I thought you didn't want anything to do with me, that you were maybe okay with us being friends, but only on your terms, when you had time or inclination, and fuck the rest. So yeah. I was pissed off. And I was done."

_Together. We're together right now, so that isn't the end of it. Calm down._

Gritting his teeth together, he tried not to sound either panicked or furious, tried to reason it out. "So what changed your mind?"

Because something clearly had, or they wouldn't be face to face a few inches apart, naked and wrapped up in each other, morning wood and all.

Then... Jesus, that smile. Slow and warm, lighting up his whole stupidly handsome face. It should be illegal.

"You showed up."

Rolling some of the effect of that sunrise of a smile, he blinked and frowned. "That's it?"

"Pretty much." Now, there was a hint of a smirk in the smile. "Yesterday was far from the first time I've been done with you, ya cranky jerk. But you keep showing up, and I keep letting you get under my skin, and the second I let you into my bunk last night, I was a goner all over again."

Confused, he could only blink again, unable to even form a coherent question.

The smile dimmed, and the pretty sod looked down, running the hand in Chuck's hair down to his chest. "I'm... lonely, okay? I've been lonely as hell, for so fucking long. And we get along so well when you're here and actually _talk_ about things, and I kept hoping that one of those times, you'd just... stay."

_Raleigh...._

"So... I know you can't be here all the time, of course, but... if you keep showing up, it'll be like you never left. That's...." A shrug, as if none of this was all that important. Which was horse shit. "That's really all I need, man. Just... keep showing up."

Jesus. Had all of that been hiding under the bloke's careful smiles, the cautious friend gestures, all along? Loneliness so deep that even Chuck seemed like good company?

"Chuck." The smile was bad, wry this time. "It's a compliment. Do you really think I'd let just anyone at my ass, no matter how lonely I was?"

Snorting, he shook his head and leaned in for a kiss. He wasn't sure he could process all of that right now, and honestly, he wasn't sure he needed to. For right this second, it was enough just to know that Raleigh wanted him to stay.

Jesus, Raleigh actually wanted him to _stay._

Pausing mid-kiss, he pulled back and eyed the beautiful bastard almost suspiciously. "You're serious, yeah? Just... stay?"

That. Fucking. Smile. "Well... I mean... if you wanted to fuck every now and then, I'd be down for that, too, but--"

"Fucking wanker."

Snickering, he pulled the rotten sod in for another kiss, and morning wood be damned, but he just wanted this. For now. He didn't give a damn about their morning breath. He didn't give a damn about needing to take a piss and maybe nick some breakfast.

Raleigh Becket. In his arms. Wanting him to stay.

This was the best day in the history of the fucking world. Even better than living through the apocalypse, because this involved one fuck of a lot more cuddles.

Merry fucking day-after-Christmas to him.

\--

They did eventually have to get up, relieve bladders, brush teeth, throw on slouchy trackies, and sneak into the caf for portable breakfast rubbish to take back to Raleigh's bunk.

Herc came looking for him at one point and dropped off Max, who joined the pillow-and-blanket pile around them and seemed to enjoy the ridiculous neon kung fu fever dream that was _Big Trouble in Little China,_ which Raleigh assured him was a cult classic. If Chuck was honest, it was hilarious and he loved it, but bickering about its ridiculousness was more fun, especially when Raleigh elbowed him in the ribs, then bit his lip when they kissed it out.

Mako came looking for them around lunchtime. She smiled to see them all cuddled down and apparently impossible to dislodge, Raleigh's fingers running blissfully through Chuck's hair, then left without asking them to move, because she was a love like that.

And when evening rolled around and Max started getting squirmy, clearly wanting to go back to Herc, Chuck reluctantly crawled out of their comfortable pile and stepped into his boots. He hated the careful, tight smile on Raleigh's face, so he bent back down to kiss it away.

"I'm just taking him to Dad. I _will_ be back."

"I know."

But the careful look stayed, and Chuck knew good and well that he'd put it there. Well, he'd just have to be the one to erase it.

"Want anything from the caf? I think they have mac and cheese tonight."

That was a much more natural smile. "Oh, baby, you know what I like."

Snickering, he leaned in for another kiss, then straightened away. "I might've been paying attention. Roll and butter?"

"Perfect."

He practically ran to Herc's bunk to drop Max off -- after an afternoon of inactivity, the little bugger thought it was a game and kept trying to run ahead -- then hurriedly explained that he'd be bunking with Raleigh again tonight and ignored the knowing look on his old man's face.

At least the wanker looked proud. It was still a brand-new look on the craggy features, and Chuck still relished it, though he'd rather die than admit it out loud.

Thankfully, the cafeteria crew were quite helpful in packing up a hefty selection for him, and damn if he didn't catch himself whistling all the way back to the pretty sod's bunk, plastic bags swinging from his hands and an honest-to-God spring in his step. He reckoned it was obvious to everyone he passed that he'd just got laid, and he didn't care a particle.

Raleigh was waiting for him.

Raleigh trusted him to come back.

Raleigh... Jesus, the bloke was naked in bed waiting for him when he cranked the door open, and he damn near dropped the food on the stoop because... _Jesus._

That. Fucking. Smile.

"Knew you'd be back."

His mouth worked, but he was honestly afraid he'd drool if he didn't shut it soon, so he sleepwalked over to the desk, where he put everything down willy-nilly and hurried to kick out of his boots. He didn't take off his trackie dacks or his t-shirt, but he did practically jump into the bed to cuddle up next to all those miles of gloriously bared flesh.

The low, throaty chuckle felt good against his lips, and he wasted no time stroking a hand down the toned flank to the bloke's hip and urge him to his side so they could cuddle up even closer.

"Food's gonna get cold."

Hmming softly, he nuzzled up under the pretty sod's ear, enjoying the shiver it caused as Raleigh wrapped him up in arms and legs. "No one said we have to fuck, mate. Just... couldn't resist touching... just... _everything."_

So warm. Such smooth skin, even where the scars burned through. Toned muscle flexed at his every gentle stroke. The bloke was a goddamn work of art.

"You're... okay with just... this?"

He hesitated, the pulled back to look and see if what he thought he heard was all over the bloke's face.

It was.

Flummoxed surprise.

Sighing, he stroked what he hoped were soothing hands up and down the poor sod's back. "Raleigh... mate... I'm not here because we fucked." Grinning a bit, he leaned in and kissed the bloke's temple. Warm skin. Soft against his lips. "I'm here because...."

_Because I want to be. Because you asked me for one thing, to stay, when you could have the whole goddamn world from me if you wanted it. Because you sound like sex in the morning and you cuddle like a koala in the afternoon and your shit taste in movies is exactly my shit taste in movies. Because your laugh makes me feel like the funniest wanker that ever took the piss, and I fucking love the way your eyes light up with it._

"Raleigh, love, I'm here because there's no place in the world I'd rather be, yeah?"

There it was. The smile like a goddamn sunrise. "Yeah?"

With more gentleness than he thought he possessed, he ran his thumb over the bloke's full lower lip, tracing the curve of that gorgeous smile.

"Yeah. Shoulda been here all along. 'S my fault I wasn't."

The pretty sod hnned under his breath, then shrugged and leaned in close. "Well, you're here now. That's all that counts." This time, the bloke smirked. "And you have food, so all is forgiven."

Snorting, he reluctantly untangled himself from the silly wanker and rolled out of bed. "That's all it takes to win your heart, eh? Food?"

Grinning and scruffing at his hair -- it was distracting as hell, given that the bloke was still bloody naked -- Raleigh sat up and eyed the scatter of bags on his desk. "That's what five years of rations will do to a man."

_Don't drool. It'd just ruin the bloke's appetite._

Shaking off his distraction, he turned his attention to sorting through what he'd brought, looking for the promised mac and cheese. "Well, far be it from me to leave you starving."

He'd just found the right takeaway container when the rotten bastard pressed all up against his back, still naked and warm-skinned and generally goddamn perfect. He couldn't help but gasp and freeze, then reach back and settle a hand on the back of the bloke's toned, gorgeous thigh.

"Raleigh, love, this is not conducive to you eating mac and cheese."

"Ooh, wait, you were serious? Nice!"

And just like that, the silly sod snatched up the designated box and vanished, hopping back onto the mattress like a goddamn kid. Before Chuck could even catch his breath from the quickness of the exchange, the rotten bastard was cross-legged and grinning like a felon, the expression lopsided from a mouthful of cheesy goodness.

"Chuck?"

"Eh?"

Damn, but he still sounded breathless.

"Thank you."

He blinked. "For the mac and cheese?"

It should not be attractive for a naked wanker to chew and smile at the same time. "Well. For that, too."

Rolling his eyes and finally back in possession of all his faculties, he grabbed his own box of mac and cheese and joined the silly sausage on the bed. "You're a wanker."

Said wanker elbowed him, still grinning, and swallowed. "I meant for... being here. For... doing the Christmas thing and for bumming around with me today and for... just... being here."

Weirdly, he found himself blushing and had to look away. "Yeah, well... in it for the long haul now, yeah?" Prodding his fork at a few noodles, he grinned and made himself look back, pleased by the look on the bloke's face. "Besides. Wait 'til you see what I've got in mind for New Year's."

The pretty bastard smiled and nudged their shoulders together, and Chuck felt like maybe he wouldn't fuck this whole thing up, after all.

Raleigh Becket was right there at his side, naked and eating mac and cheese like he'd never have it again, and they may or may not fuck like rabbits later, and there would inevitably be movies and probably Max and walkies. Raleigh's fingers running through his hair like nirvana.

Cuddling. There would almost definitely be cuddling.

And tonight, he'd fall asleep next to that perfect, warm body, and if he played his cards right, he just... wouldn't have to leave.

He'd just stay.

He thought he could do that, now.

So, comfortable and close and reasonably assured this all wouldn't end if he closed his eyes, Chuck leaned back against the blanket/pillow pile and settled in for the long haul.

**THE END**


End file.
